


It Takes Two to Tango

by mithrilstarlight



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-12
Updated: 2015-06-27
Packaged: 2018-03-22 12:10:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 15,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3728428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mithrilstarlight/pseuds/mithrilstarlight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She's there at the behest of her future sister-in-law. He's there at the behest of his therapist.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Grab Your Partner

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter one of I don't know. I do this kind of ballroom dance stuff all the time. (Including the awkward dance with a partner stuff.) Enjoy!

"Please, Sansa, you must come with us. It will be fun! You need to get out of your apartment more." Jeyne's smile would appear sweet and innocent to the untrained eye. Sansa had known her long enough that this smile was for moments when this girl was completely and utterly manipulating the poor soul it to whom it was directed. Unfortunately, Sansa was that poor soul. She bounced up and down slightly as she thought, Jeyne inching closer with each passing second. Sighing Sansa threw her hands up.

"Fine. I don't even really have a choice, do I?" Sansa hadn't been keen on the idea of dance classes. Jeyne and Robb's wedding was a couple of months away and, to prepare, they decided to take some dance lessons. Funnily enough, it had been Robb's idea. Jeyne had then systematically gone after every member of the family, trying to get someone to join them and failing with every single one until Sansa, who just couldn't say no.

Jeyne laughed and hugged her future sister-in-law. "We'll pick you up at two tomorrow." With that, she grabbed the laughing Robb and dragged him out the door of Sansa's apartment. Once alone, Sansa sat down on her little couch. If nothing else, it would be a nice break from the usual monotony of her life. Working as a seamstress for a local boutique was wonderful, but didn't give her much of a social life. It could also get her a date for the wedding. Every single one of her siblings was taking someone, even Arya.

\---

Willas was breathing heavily. He leaned his head back against the headrest on the machine. His car crash the year before had resulted in a severely injured right leg. The surgeons managed to save it, although he'd have some nasty scars. The bastard who ran into him had gone through a red light and basically crushed the right side of his car, as well as his leg. For eight months he had been in and out of physical therapy. The first two months were just getting him to stand on it again. Getting out of the wheelchair the first time had been brutal. He could barely hold his own weight. He, who had been a star athlete in high school, was now reduced to this. Time on crutches built up a lot of upper body strength as he slowly learned to use the leg again. Now it was just a lot of strength training and stretching.

The physical therapist tapped Willas on the shoulder and he let out a heavy sigh, dropping his feet to the ground. The entire leg felt limp from the exertion. "Get cleaned up, we need to talk," the therapist said before walking away. Willas nodded and went to the showers. He still had a faint limp, but nothing too bad. It was just awkward and stiff to use.

After a quick shower and a fresh set of clothes, Willas went to the open office door and walked in. "Well?"

"Sit." Willas did. "You're strength is improving greatly. Much faster than we'd expect for someone whose leg was nearly shattered. However, I've noticed that you are still really uncomfortable with it. You can work on the machines as long as you want, but that won't stop the leg from healing stiff. You need to get your dexterity back."

"Sure, so what do you want?" Willas leaned back, waiting to hear what his newfound weekly torture would be.

"There are dance classes right down the road from here. It will help you. In more than one way. I can tell that you're the isolated and withdrawn type and from what your brother has said, it's not normal. I may only be here to help you recover physically, this might help elsewhere, too. It's three days a week for an hour. That's all." The therapist looked at Willas expectantly.

"You're the boss." Willas wasn't going to argue. He wouldn't win.

\---

"Listen to the music. Let it fill you up. You'll find the beat naturally if you pay attention." The instructor walked around the room, gently correcting the form and stances of the handful of couples already in the room. Robb and Jeyne looked excited beyond belief to be there. Among the three old couples and one other engaged couple, they were probably the most giddy. Sansa stood at the entrance to the practice room, watching as the advanced class finished up. With a clap of her hands, the instructor dismissed the students and waved for all of them to enter from the waiting area. Sansa smoothed out the floral, knee-length dress she was wearing and stepped onto the dance floor. She looked around awkwardly. There weren't any individuals other than her who had come without a partner. The woman seemed unaffected by this and began teaching the waltz. The insane woman just grabbed Robb from Jeyne and started pulling him around the room. It was hilarious to watch, but also a bit terrifying on Robb's part. She could see him silently pleading at Jeyne every time he caught sight of her.

Willas grumbled to himself as he yanked the door to the dance studio open. He couldn't believe that he was doing this. Sure, he respected people who did this for a living. But there had to be a better way to go about this process. He stubbornly refused to look up as he sat down and changed into a nicer pair of shoes that his youngest brother had lent him. Loras, upon hearing that Willas was to take a dance class, immediately rushed over and brought his dance shoes, somehow already knowing that Willas would need them.

Finally, he stood up and walked stifly over to the dance floor. There were a few elderly couples, a young couple, a poor young man who was being hijacked by the instructor, and two young women who were laughing hysterically. Seemingly satisfied with her demonstration, the instructor released Robb and then began to actually teach.

"Grab your partner, and begin in traditional dance hold," she called out, walking around to correct everyone. Willas watched one of the young women rush over to the other young man, scooping him up and chattering away. Sighing, he made his way over to the redhead that was left.

"Hi, I'm Willas," he said with a rather forced smile as he held out his hand. Sansa jumped at the sudden voice beside her and then smiled.

"I'm Sansa. I take it you are here for the dance lessons, too?" she asked with a laugh. He nodded.

"It's a part of-"

"Dance hold, dears. I can't continue unless you are ready," the instructor gently said as she walked over and shoved Willas towards Sansa. He awkwardly put his hands out, looking over at the other couples to figure out where to put everything. Sansa didn't seem to mind his hesitation and simply waited. They began with a basic step and learned a few different steps. Robb and Jeyne spent most of the time giggling like children. Sansa remained silent. She was dancing with a stranger, and not the way Arya usually did. Willas never made eye contact either. A few toes were stepped on, but by the end of the hour, they had managed to go for a whole song without any disasters. Sansa had noticed how difficult using his right leg had been. She didn't say anything, but it reminded her of Bran, although his condition was still much worse.

As the instructor dismissed them, Sansa thanked Willas quietly and then hurried over to her brother and sister-in-law. Jeyne had glanced over almost every two seconds, making faces at Sansa. Most of them were about Willas. "He's absolutely adorable, don't you think? Have you invited him to the wedding yet?" Jeyne asked under her breath to Sansa as they met up.

"Oh hush, Jeyne. You're being silly," Robb said, tapping his fiancee on the nose. Sansa rolled her eyes and pretended to gag.

"For the record, we didn't talk at all other than to say hello," she said. Jeyne seemed disappointed. They gathered their things and left the studio. Sansa only glanced briefly at Willas as he lowered himself into a chair with some visible amount of caution, probably just habit, and began to change shoes. She wondered if he would be back again next time.


	2. Pleasant Company

Margaery slowed the car to a stop in front of the little dance studio. She turned the key, but didn't unlock the doors. Looking over at her dear eldest brother, she smiled. "I know you're still uncomfortable with this, but I agree with your therapist. This is good for you. And from what you said of the girl you danced with last time, she seems very nice. You could make a friend! You need to get away from your books and horses for a while. Just please try to enjoy it, Willas." With a comforting pat on the shoulder, she then unlocked the doors and released him. Willas gave a small wave to his sister and then watched her drive off. They had just been at their parents' house and she had offered to drive him since she had errands to run in the area anyway. He turned towards the door and took a deep breath. He didn't hate this. In fact, he found it a bit fun, even if it was forced on him.

Sansa was already inside when he walked in. She was chatting excitedly with the young woman he saw with her last week. As he sat down a few seats away, he overheard something about a wedding. Of course. But it didn't explain why Sansa was here. It wasn't until Sansa glanced over at him that he realized he had been staring at her. It was an absent-minded one and unless she was oblivious she would probably figure he was deep in thought, but it was still a bit awkward to realize she saw him. Willas gave a small smile and then went to work changing his shoes.

Eventually the instructor called the handful of couples in. Willas took his sweet time walking over, not wanting to seem too eager to spend the next hour in close quarters with a pretty girl. Sansa was by all rights attached at the hip to the other girl, still talking. It was as though they were forcing him to actually make a move. That, or the instructor would step in. He tried to put on a smile and walked over to Sansa. He cleared his throat to get her attention.

"Sansa, was it?" he asked. Sansa turned around and a smile spread across her face. It was a very sweet smile that suited her.

"Yes. And you're Willas," she said in return. The instructor clapped her hands, gathering them together to begin the lesson. It was more waltz, thankfully. The middle-aged woman started by putting on music to see what they could remember from the previous lesson. Willas watched as the girl's fiance mockingly bowed and led the pair to a clear area. Sansa giggled as she watched them go before turning to Willas. She held out her hand and he stepped forward into hold. They took a collective breath, silently counting the music, and then began. He was very shaky at first, but she seemed to be incredibly patient. Something about the way she moved told him that she had some kind of dance experience prior to this. She was too graceful for it to be new.

"So, have you ever danced before this?" He asked, attempting to make small conversation as he led them through the song.

Sansa smiled. "Not this kid of dancing, no. I used to dance ballet as a child, though. Just for a few years. You?"

"Of course not," Willas said quickly. Her smile seemed to falter slightly at his aggressive answer. Swallowing, he attempted to fix his mistake. "I grew up doing horseback riding. Dance was never a hobby of mine. Besides, even if my leg wasn't a bit stiff, you would probably still be able to tell that I'm a poor dancer."

"I wouldn't say that," she replied. Her voice was sweet and sincere, which made his face redden just a bit. "You're inexperienced, yes, but we're holding a conversation and you haven't made a terrible mistake or gotten distracted. I think you have potential."

Willas felt his face redden even more. They danced in silence for a little while until he felt the desperate need to break the silence once more. "I noticed you were here with that couple over there. What for?"

"That's my brother, Robb. He and Jeyne are getting married in a couple of months. They wanted to bring someone along and I was the sibling who got stuck with the honor." Sansa glanced over at her brother, who was tripping over himself as Jeyne laughed uncontrollably at their clumsiness. Rolling her eyes, Sansa turned back to her own dance partner. "They're a funny pair. What about you?"

Willas grimaced slightly at the question. "I'm here because of my physical therapy. I was in a car accident that wrecked my leg and they want me to work on my dexterity in these later stages of healing." Sansa went a bit quiet and her face was somber at his story.

"It could be worse. You could be stuck dancing with some short, old widow who smells of mothballs. At least I'm pleasant company." Willas couldn't help but laugh with her.

"That's true. You are very pretty." The words were out of his mouth before he could think about them. Now it was both of them who reddened in the face. He couldn't look back at her, so they danced the remaining couple of minutes staring out past the other's shoulder. Thankfully, the class was over and he politely thanked her for the hour together and hurried out to change shoes. He saw Margaery waiting in one of the chairs. She took one look at his face and a grin spread across her own. He stuck out his tongue at her as he sat down and changed shoes. Margaery didn't say anything, but he could feel how badly she wanted to start mocking him. He took one glance back at Sansa as he left. She had her back turned and was probably talking all about how terrible he was. Suddenly he was dreading the next lesson in two days.


	3. One Two Three Cha-Cha

Sansa sat down in one of the chairs on her brother's deck. It was late in the evening and the last few fingers of sunlight were fading from the sky. Jeyne sat down beside her and placed two glasses of red wine between them. Arya unceremoniously placed her beer alongside them as she took the seat across from the other two.

"So, Sansa, Jeyne has told quite a story about you scaring off some poor cripple. You didn't beat him with a broom, did you?" Arya's voice was layered in sarcasm as she smirked at her elder sister. Sansa made a face and took a sip of her wine.

"That's not true," she said, glaring at Jeyne. "He's not a cripple. He was in a car accident that badly injured his leg and he's finishing up physical therapy." Arya rolled her eyes, suppressing the urge to again mock this mystery man so that Sansa could continue. "I made a joke and he called me pretty and then turned as red as a tomato. That's all that happened."

Jeyne leaned forward and looked Arya dead in the eyes. "He honestly looked like he had just confessed his undying love for her. He was mortified."

"Oh hush, Jeyne, you're exaggerating," Sansa said quickly, waving her hand at her sister-in-law. "It's fine. He'll show up again tomorrow. He has no choice if it's for therapy."

\---

Sansa was almost surprised to see Willas at the lesson the following day. Some small part of her had been convinced that he would call his therapist and say that he couldn't attend anymore and they would just have to do something else. And yet, here he was. As he walked over, she noticed the ever-so-slight limp. It was a curious thing to watch, since he seemed to be actually quite light on his feet when they were dancing. She smiled as he walked up and nodded a hello.

"It's nice to see you again," he said. Now it was Sansa's turn to be mysteriously flustered. He seemed to be so calm and collected today. It almost made her worry, but she simply returned the greeting and led him onto the dance floor. Today they were beginning cha-cha, which was a lot more fast-paced than the waltz. Willas had some trouble getting his feet to move fast enough to keep up with the music, but Sansa was patient and consistently let him pause to think about a move for a few seconds before trying it. As they danced, he continually muttered the instructor's counts "one two three cha-cha" under his breath. He seemed unconscious of it, which was the amusing part of it all.

"You know, if you keep counting we can't actually talk," Sansa said. He jerked out of his counting daydream and looked her in the eye.

"Sorry, I forgot I was still doing it. It helps, you know, to have that mantra in your head." Sansa nodded as he shrugged. "Tell me about yourself, I guess?" He felt like he was grasping for straws at this point. It was horrific, but she didn't seem to mind.

"I work as a seamstress. I design clothes for one of the expensive little boutiques in town. It pays the rent and it's always fun. I have a dog named Lady. She's an absolute sweetheart. I have four siblings, Robb is over there, and I have a younger sister and two younger brothers in addition. Yourself?"

"Two younger brothers and a little sister. Currently in between jobs thanks to the accident. I work with my family's horses in my spare time. I could be considered the opposite of interesting." Willas gave a little shrug and then looked over as the instructor began to teach another step. They didn't quite part all of the way when breaking out of dance hold and he was left holding her hand. She could feel his fingers twitch as he decided what to do with her hand. He didn't let go, so neither did she. After watching the new step a few times, they came back together to give it a try. There was something sweeter in his smile as they danced. A kind of confidence that made her feel very happy to have given in and signed up for these lessons.

At the end of the lesson, he gave her a small bow. She laughed and curtsied in return. They walked off the dance floor together, holding idle conversation with absolute ease. Sansa felt herself grow comfortable with him in a way she hadn't felt for a while. Perhaps if the next couple of lessons went well, she would just invite him to the wedding. Yes, that was a good idea.

As she waved goodbye to Willas, Robb walked up and pinched her on the side. She jumped and he smirked, whispering to her: "Little Sansa seems to have a crush, huh?" Sansa made a face and smacked her brother on the shoulder, telling him to put his shoes on before they were late to dinner with their parents.


	4. Anything You Want

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! I made this one a bit longer (I think) to make up for it.

Sansa finished setting the dishes out on the large dining table and hurried back to her parent's kitchen to help with the rest of the meal. It was a celebration dinner for Bran. He had a breakthrough in his therapy the day before, which called for a family dinner. For the first time in months after his spine was wrecked, he was able to move his feet. It was a miracle to say the least. The doctors had given him a very small chance of being able to use anything below his waist ever again. Even if he never fully recovered, he was no longer facing a future that was restricted to a wheelchair, and that caused for celebration.

When the family finally sat down, Mother and Father at the ends with the children and Jeyne along the sides, there was no pause before the food was being generously doled out. Bran was sitting next to Sansa.

"Are you taking Meera to the wedding, Bran?" Sansa asked. He swallowed quickly and nodded.

"We've been dating for a couple of years, Sansa, what do you think?" He laughed and then helped himself to more of the potatoes. She shrugged and made a face.

"I don't know, I just thought I'd ask."

"How about you? Are you bringing a date?" Bran didn't know about Willas. He knew she had been cornered into taking the dance lessons, but he had been too wrapped up in his therapy to get any of the gossip.

"I don't know yet. There's no one I have in mind."

"LIAR!" Arya shouted. The whole table went quiet. Arya's face reddened a bit and she apologized quietly before continuing. "Robb told me about your last dance lesson. If you don't invite him, I'll do it for you." Now it was Sansa's turn to redden.

"He's just an acquaintance. If I were dancing with an old man every few days would you invite him, too?" Sansa retorted.

"Well, you're not dancing with an old man. You're dancing with a young and apparently very attractive one according to our brother." Arya pointed her fork at her elder sister. "Do it or you'll regret it." Sansa huffed and shoved some of the baby carrots into her mouth to prevent any further argument. Conversation returned to normal and she stayed quiet for the rest of the meal.

\---

Garlan and Willas sat across from each other on Garlan's small balcony. He and Leonette owned a small and cozy apartment in the downtown area. They didn't need much space and they kept the place clean and Leonette had potted plants everywhere. She was almost as bad as the boys' grandmother when it came to plants. Willas stretched out his leg and massaged the tight muscles above his knee. Garlan watched silently for a while.

"So where did Leonette go again?" Willas asked, looking up at his brother.

"She's on a girl's night out with Margaery and the rest, remember? They've been planning it all week, remember? Marg wouldn't shut up about it yesterday at lunch." Garlan rolled his eyes but Willas only nodded. "So how is your therapy going? Are the dance lessons actually helping or is it just a load of crap?"

"No, it's actually helping. I don't have to use the cane in the morning as often. Things are still stiff, but there's improvement. They're actually pretty fun, Garlan. You and Leonette should give them a try sometime. I remember very well how poor your dancing was at your wedding." Garlan shot his brother a glare before downing another gulp of his beer. "I also get to dance with a pretty girl a few times a week, which is nice." This was where Garlan raised a brow.

"You never said she was pretty."

"Oh, she is." Willas ran his hand through his hair and leaned back in the chair. "She's got hair like fire. It's gorgeous. And she's a good dancer, too. She's there with her brother and his fiancee." Garlan smiled. "You know how Marg has been on my tail about making new friends and getting back out there." Willas attempted to make an excuse, but his brother wouldn't buy it.

"I know you too well, dear brother. You've just got to suck it up and ask her out. Not even a date, just to get a drink. Something outside of dance lessons."

\---

Sansa walked in for the next dance lesson jittery. She wasn't nervous about asking him to a wedding. That was a lie, she was terrified. She didn't really know him outside of these lessons and asking someone who was essentially a stranger to accompany her to a family event seemed weird. But Arya would follow through on at least one of the ridiculous threats she made throughout the previous night if Sansa didn't at least give it a go. When he walked in, she smiled and gave a little wave before walking to the dance floor to wait.

He was equally as nervous. Garlan had been the one to drop him off this time and there was that knowing look in the younger brother's eyes when Willas waved goodbye. He would go through with it, no doubt. It was how poor his execution was that worried him. With a silent deep breath of confidence, he walked over.

"Hello Sansa." He smiled and gave a little bow. "Before we start, I was wondering if you would like to grab a drink with me afterwards. Anything you want." He silently congratulated himself for not tripping over his words. He watched her reaction and to his surprise, she looked relieved more than anything else.

"Sure! It's still pretty early. I know of a little place down the street. It's a bistro and bar rolled into one." Sansa was internally giving a huge sigh of relief. She could hold her sister at bay for a while longer. It gave her some amount of relief to know that he was interested in at least being her friend. The instructor began the lesson and they spent most of the hour in various states of laughter. Something changed about her air, he noticed. She was more easy-going today, which intrigued him. He was almost sure that she had just been waiting for him to ask her out, considering her reaction.

By the end of the hour, his leg was sore from doing the cha-cha. It was a rather intensive dance if done for any extended amount of time. Sansa was rubbing the sides of her thighs. The instructor had told her to shake her hips more when dancing and now just moving hurt. She gave a small gesture to Willas, signaling him to wait. She walked over and told Robb and Jeyne about the date and then returned. Willas watched as Jeyne gave an emphatic "I told you so" to Sansa. Robb seemed to only chuckle.

"I have my car. I'll drive us," Sansa said, pulling him out of his small reverie.

"Sure. One of my siblings usually takes care of driving me around, so I'll just give them a call and let them know." Willas saw her slight confusion out of the corner of his eye as he pulled out his phone and started walking with her. "My siblings are still keeping my license from me. The doctors said I'm fine to drive, but I think they just enjoy finally getting an excuse to spend lots of time with me. I wasn't the most social among them for a couple of years."


	5. Everyone Has Bad Days

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear this just keeps going and I'm not going to stop it. I'm in it for the long haul, folks.

Sansa had barely set her purse down as she walked in the door of her apartment her phone began to ring. She hadn't checked it all evening, and was now very much not surprised to find several missed calls from Jeyne. Sansa gave a small huff and answered the call.

"Hi Jeyne, what's up?" She greeted cheerfully.

"You went on a date and haven't answered me in three hours. Spill now or I'm marching myself over there and forcing it from you in person." Jeyne sounded serious, but somehow that was only funny to Sansa. She opted to play along.

"Well, we went out and got a drink and started talking and before we knew it, we were both hungry and so dinner just happened. That's all." Sansa smiled to herself. It had been a very nice evening. The conversation was slow to start and a bit awkward. She began by asking about the leg, which probably wasn't the best topic of discussion, but it was all she could think of. According to Willas, it was nearly fully healed with only a few minor twinges or stiff muscles every now and then. From the little walking and plenty of dancing she saw, she didn't doubt his judgement. Eventually he got her talking about her job and family, by which point they were a bit more comfortable.

"Okay, so was it really a date? Please say yes." Jeyne sounded desperate at this point. Sansa paused, not particularly sure how to respond. They never called it a date, but he insisted on paying at least for her dinner and they did spend the night out together.

"I don't know. Maybe. If you want to call it that, then it was a date. But it means nothing" Sansa said, shrugging to herself. "We exchanged numbers and then said goodnight, before you ask if anything else happened." Sansa knew her future sister-in-law too well sometimes. She could hear the girl sighing loudly over the phone. "But, we did make plans to go out again in a few days." With that came the cackle Sansa knew was inevitable.

"Oh, Sansa, I knew it!" Jeyne made several happy shrieks and Sansa could only roll her eyes.

\---

"Tango is like sex. There is passion in every movement. You can be angry, or jealous, or lustful. Or you can trip over each other." The instructor seemed to be more that pleased that the class had shrunk down a bit. The elderly couples were starting to only drift in and out, which Willas guessed was normal. The dance for the day was making him start to question himself a bit. The previous lessons had been much more fun and free. At the start of this session, the instructor had walked around and essentially pressed the couples uncomfortably close together, saying that this was the only way to dance a tango. He didn't argue, but he wondered how Sansa felt considering that they had jsut gone on a semi-date only a few nights before. She seemed aloof and detached from it today, or maybe that was just her way of keeping him at a distance despite their physical proximity.

The hour passed slowly at first. Jeyne and Robb were getting fairly good at this one, surprisingly. The instructor seemed to be making more notes for Sansa and himself, saying that this was wrong or that was wrong. He didn't feel wrong, or maybe she was just trying to fine-tune them and he wasn't paying enough attention to notice. Either way, Sansa was silent unless speaking directly to the instructor. It was driving him nuts, espeically since they were going to have their second not-date right after this.

Eventually the class ended and Sansa walked away without so much as a thank you. Willas was confused and almost irritated. But there was something in the way she was walking that made him feel like she was simply acting, but he didn't know her well enough to say for certain. He looked over to the other two and they gave shrugs. Taking a breath Willas jogged after her. He yanked off his shoes and put the others on while she sat and did the same.

"You've been oddly quiet," he said cautiously.

"I just didn't have anything to say." Sansa glanced up at him only momentarily. Willas gave a silent huff and then knelt down, giving a small wave goodbye to Robb and Jeyne, who hurried quickly out the door.

"Hey, is something wrong?" His brow furrowed and he picked up her dance shoes for her. "It's okay, you can talk to me. Did I do something wrong?" She only shook her head and stood up to walk out with him.

"I got a text today. A text I didn't want." Now Willas was even more confused.

"Do you still want to go out?" he asked quietly. She shook her head. His heart sank ever so slightly. She really looked like she was having trouble. "Do you want me to drive you home?" This time she nodded. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, brushing her hair out of the way. It was silky smooth and he loved it. "Come on."

\---

Fifteen minutes later, they were outside the door to Sansa's apartment. She still looked distant and empty. He knew he shouldn't leave her like this. Jeyne and Robb seemed oblivious earlier, which meant he was probably the only person who was aware she was in this kind of a state. Unlocking the door, she silently invited him in. He panicked for a moment and then followed her. It was a small, cute apartment and it suited her in his opinion. She dropped her purse on the counter and then walked into the bedroom. He stood in the tiny entry awkwardly for a moment before taking a seat on the couch. He heard the shower turn on and he assumed either she was oddly comfortable with his presence or she was hiding her crying.

Minutes went by and then her phone started to ring. He stood up and went to look at who was calling. The name made his stomach drop. The little screen read "DO NOT PICK UP" and he understood. He watched it ring for a while and then the screen eventually went dark. Whoever this person was, they hurt her pretty bad and apparently came back for a haunting today. He returned to the couch and pulled out his own phone to look up the number. He came up empty and opted to text Marg. She knew ten times as many people as he did and had a hundred times as many numbers. He waited impatiently for his little sister to answer. When Margaery finally did answer, it was with a call rather than a text. He picked up instantly.

"Marg, do you know who it is?" Willas asked hurriedly.

"Willas, you don't want to know. Trust me, just let her be. It's for the best." Margaery sounded really quiet and it only frustrated him more.

"Please just tell me."

"If she wants you to know, she'll say so herself. Don't come to me for your snooping. Just let her deal with it. She's a big girl."

"Margaery."

"Fine." The line was silent for a minute and he knew that his little sister was probably just trying to find the words. "Do you remember that freak that started hitting on me a few months ago? We were at the country club and grandma was schmoozing with the mayor's family and his son started talking to me. That's him."

Willas wanted to throw his phone against the wall. That bastard Joffrey was a little monster. The kid got really inappropriate with Margaery that night and Mayor Baratheon never bat an eye at it, even when Willas called him out. How Sansa even knew the demon was beyond him, but evidently she had discovered his nasty side after the sickly sweet one rather than the other way around. He instantly felt bad.

"Willas, please don't say anything to her. You can't let her know that you know. It will only make her more upset."

"I know, Marg. I know." He said goodbye and then hung up. After several more minutes, the shower turned off and Sansa walked out. She had been crying, clearly. Her face was red and a bit puffy from the tears. She checked her phone and stifled another cry at seeing the missed call. Willas stood up and walked over, giving her a silent hug. She timidly wrapped her own arms around his chest and cried quietly for a couple of minutes before pulling herself together.

"I'm sorry I ended our night before it began. I just didn't expect to have to deal with this today." She refused to look him in the eye.

Willas smiled. "It's alright, Sansa. Everyone has bad days. Do you want me to make dinner instead?" She gave a small smile and nodded. With that, Willas got to work pulling things out of her cabinets and running through all of the possible meals he could make without a recipe and with what she had. There weren't too many, but he'd make it happen.


	6. How Can You Dance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so sappy. Hope you enjoy.

It was still six weeks from the wedding, yet Jeyne had somehow managed to already have several breakdowns over the planning. Sansa was starting to get tired of the drama, but she loved her future sister-in-law and put up with it.

"Jeyne, it's perfectly fine. Everything will work out in the end," Sansa said, trying to calm Jeyne down. She was freaking out over the dresses for the bridesmaids because they weren't fitting right. Any rational person would simply take them to a tailor and have them fixed. Jeyne was not currently in the right state of mind to be called a rational person, so it was up to Sansa to take care of things. She wouldn't hold it against the girl, but this hair-trigger anxiety was starting to grow old. Jeyne nodded and wiped away her tears.

"I'm okay. Really. I'm just a bit stressed. Let's go or we'll be late for the lessons." Sansa smiled and pat Jeyne on the shoulder before grabbing the keys.

\---

Robb arrived a couple of minutes late from work that day and was red-faced from running when he finally arrived. The instructor had already begun lecturing on how swing form differed from everything else. He didn't overlook seeing Sansa and Willas were huddled close together holding hands before he approached his fiancee. Sansa knew that her brother had seen and didn't care. After what Willas had done for her a few nights back, she couldn't help but take comfort in him. After breaking down in front of him, he proceeded to make a dinner that was everything she needed at the time. He didn't complain or ask about anything. He simply cooked and ate with her, gently pushing casual conversation in an attempt to cheer her up. She didn't know why he did it, but she was thankful nonetheless.

They began dancing and Willas seemed to take to swing immediately. Ten minutes in, Sansa was flying around with a smile spread across her face. Her braid, which had previously been nicely tucked, was now wild unkempt.

"You're really good at this," she commented. "It's almost as though you've done this before." Willas smiled slyly.

"Well, I won't lie. When my mom and I would go out to get away from the rest of the family for some bonding time, she taught me some of this. She and my father were very good at it when they were young." He shrugged and spun her out and back in, catching her right up against his hip. There was a pause where he caught her eye and that single moment stretched into forever as he smiled and then pushed her back out and returned to dancing.

"Willas, I was wondering if you wanted to come to the wedding. I don't have anyone to go with and I figure we've done all of this dancing together and we might as well show off a little." Sansa felt herself redden just a shade as she asked. There was a moment of silence as Willas led her through a skin the cat, but once he got her out in front again, he smiled and nodded.

"Sure! I'd love to go." Sansa felt her gut lighten a bit at his reply. At the end of the lesson, they were sweaty and exhausted, but grinning from ear to ear. The instructor walked up to them as everyone else left.

"I've noticed that you two are taking to a number of these quite well. I was wondering if you'd be interested in also joining my advanced class. We cover a lot more of the complicated steps and it's a faster pace." Willas and Sansa looked at each other and shrugged.

"Sure," Sansa said with a smile. Willas didn't argue, and nodded along with her.

"We'd love to," he added. The instructor smiled and asked that they join an hour earlier next session. The two turned to leave and shared a small, giddy grin. They danced well together, it seemed. Sansa loved the way he danced. If she managed to get a look at his face as the were trying something out, he'd have this funny sort of thinking pout that made her smile and without fail it would always help him get through the steps.

"What was that about?" Robb asked his sister. Sansa smiled and explained, much to Jeyne's delight. There was a devious look in the woman's eyes and Sansa knew exactly what was going on in that pretty head. She sat down and changed shoes, waving goodbye to the couple as they left. Willas waited a moment before walking up and crouching down on his heels in front of her.

"Do you want to give our little date another try?" He asked, a bit of a goofy smile on his face. Sansa smirked and tossed her shoe at him.

"We weren't calling it a date last time. But yes, I don't have plans for the night and I'd love to spend it out with you."

"Oh, but you just asked me to be your plus one to your brother's wedding. I think we can call tonight a date." Willas handed back the shoe and offered his hand to help her get up. Together, still loosely holding hands, they walked out to her car.

\---

A few hours later, Sansa stumbled as she walked into her apartment. Willas was red in the face from laughing at her as he followed. They had gone out to dinner and then decided to get a little bit buzzed at a nearby bar, just for fun. They did some dancing, although Sansa had never been a huge fan of anything that wasn't at least somewhat structured. Willas found it amusing to watch her slowly figure it out. Eventually they just gave up and she invited him back home with her, which was thankfully within a reasonable walking distance since she had put her keys in the hands of the valet.

Willas collapsed on the couch face-down and sighed. Sansa pulled off her shoes and then sat down on top of him. He grunted and started laughing.

"Get off of me," he said into the cushion. Sansa conceded and slid off of him and to the floor.

"Thank you for what you did a few nights ago," Sansa said. "I was in a rough place. You didn't ask questions or bug me. The dinner was great and you really helped." Willas smiled and ruffled her hair.

"No problem. Any time," he said. They looked at each other for a moment and then he felt something in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't tell if it was a little bit of the alcohol and a little bit of how perfectly silly she looked after he messed with her hair. He leaned forward off the couch and towards her. He closed his eyes and kissed her nose, which scrunched upon contact. Sansa giggled and wiped it after he leaned back a few inches. Then it was her turn, and she leaned forward to plant a kiss on his mouth. He felt his whole body go slack as he made contact with her sweet tongue.

Several minutes went by before they pulled back. She was giddy and glowing, as he probably was. She smiled and then climbed up on the couch on top of him again. He sat up and wrapped his arms around her waist before pulling her in again. His slightly fuzzy brain knew that this was probably not the best idea, but she was just so pretty and tasted so sweet that he couldn't resist.


	7. I Like You

Two days after their tipsy make-out session, Sansa and Willas found themselves in the dance studio along with two other couples who looked intimidatingly talented. He had gone home after an hour or so of fooling around and they hadn't spoken since then. Somehow he couldn't find the words he wanted to say.

Sansa walked onto the dance floor and stood next to Willas. She shared a small smile and nudged him with her shoulder. He returned the gesture and then looked to the instructor for the start of the lesson. They were doing lindy hop, which he also happened to have some small amount of experience with. Several steps were demonstrated as well as a couple of lifts and tricks. He instantly felt a bit overwhelmed, but Sansa didn't seem to blink an eye and took his hand as the music started. They had a rough start and he felt embarrassed as the other two couples began showing off, clearly much better dancers that himself and Sansa.

Several times the instructor interrupted their dancing to make some kind of a correction. This class was much more intense and picky about form than the open class, which was to be expected. By the end of the hour, they had managed to make it through an entire song without any major hiccups and they had even tried a few of the aerial tricks with one of the other couples spotting the first few times.

Robb and Jeyne walked in at the start of the open class. Neither knew of the events that transpired two nights previously, but the increased physical familiarity between Sansa and Willas was enough of a hint that Jeyne shot her sister-in-law a knowing glance, only to receive a stuck-out tongue in response. Willas watched the two make faces at each other and smiled, pulling Sansa back towards him to dance some more.

The dance of the day was rumba, which the instructor described as a waltz, but closer and sexier. Jeyne and Robb had a great time stepping on each other and laughing every two minutes. They weren't as inept as they seemed about the dances, but they were also just there to have a good time and learn something together. Sansa and Willas, however, were suddenly faced with each other and had yet to really talk about what happened.

"Well this is fun," Willas joked as the instructor ordered them to move their hips more because it was a Latin dance. Sansa turned pink in the face as he pulled her closer to dance a bit more intimately.

"About that night in my apartment-" Sansa began.

"I had fun." Willas cut her off and smiled genuinely. "I like you. And I had fun that evening. I wanted to see what would happen and I'm happy that you returned the kiss. Multiple times over, I might add." This made her redden even more.

"To be fair, I was a bit tipsy."

"So was I. But do you regret it? Was it not what you wanted?" Sansa shook her head and he smiled. "Then there you have it. I'd ask you out again tonight, but I actually have some family business to take care of."

"It's fine. I have to help Jeyne with some of the wedding plans anyway." They danced for the next few songs in silence, but Sansa could feel a kind of tension build in the silence between them. Before she could find what to say, though, the class ended. He pulled away and gave a bow before walking off with his head held high. Sansa was then abruptly pulled out of her daze by Jeyne, who started chatting enthusiastically about how good the two of them were at the lesson today and that she's so happy Sansa is enjoying herself. It all passed in one ear and out the other as Sansa realized with a sinking feeling that she was actually somewhat upset by the fact that she and Willas wouldn't be going out that night. Robb joined the two and they left the studio a couple of minutes later.

\---

"You lied to her?" Margaery was bug-eyed at her brother. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"I don't want to take things too quickly, Marg. You know me. I told her that I had some family matters to take care of. It's not like I said I was going to fly off to another country or something. I just wanted to give her a little bit of space after the surprise we both got last time." Willas was getting defensive at this point and his little sister could only roll her eyes.

"You are going to let her slip through your fingers and you'll regret it forever." Margaery crossed her arms and glared at her brother.

"No I'm not. You're being dramatic." Nevertheless, Willas did worry that if he didn't keep seeing her, she'd just drift away as soon as the wedding was over and the dance lessons weren't worth her time. "I just don't want to seem too eager."

"Being eager isn't the issue. Even if you both were a bit on the drunk side, she still kissed you. I'd say she kissed you first since all you say you did was kiss her nose. She went for the whole thing, not you." Willas couldn't argue with that. Before he could open his mouth, she continued. "And you know very well what her history probably looks like, considering who crushed her the last time around. If she made that move, then you listen to it! Don't sit around and wait like you've been doing with everything else. For heaven's sake, you still haven't bothered to get a real job again! I know you're still upset about your leg, but look at you! You're almost completely healed with not a terrible amount of permanent damage. Get your life together, Willas. Ask the girl out properly." With that, Margaery stood up and walked over to a drawer from which she pulled his car keys. "And while you're at it, you can have these back."

Willas fell back in his chair as the keys landed in his lap. His sister was right. He had been avoiding life for the past few months. "Fine, I'll get myself together. Just, please don't pester me about this. I am going to do things my way. I'm not as aggressive as you." Margaery put her hands up in surrender and then proceeded to kick her brother out of the apartment.

\---

Sansa was sitting at Robb's kitchen table, going through dozens of pictures of flower arrangements. It was a painfully boring task for some reason, and feeling a small buzz from her phone was a much-needed distraction. It was a text from Willas. He wanted to know what she was doing that weekend. They had class on Friday and beyond that, there was nothing. She quickly responded that she had no plans for the weekend unless her family was secretly plotting something. He then asked if she was interested in going out Friday night after the dance lesson. She felt her heart lift a bit at the thought of going out with him again. A few seconds later, he responded saying that she should get a ride to the studio because he'll be driving to dinner afterwards. A small smile spread across her face and it took several nudges from Jeyne to drag Sansa back to the work at hand.


	8. But Nothing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG. I'm awful, I know. Exams really took it out of me and then work started and my life is chaos. To make up for it, it's a lengthy chapter (compared to the others) and hopefully y'all like it.

Sansa was anxious about the surprise Willas had waiting for her that evening. All day she would spontaneously stand up from her desk and walk a few laps around the office, fiddling with things here and there to make it look like she was actually being productive. He hadn’t texted or called or anything since inviting her out, which wasn’t strange per se. They didn’t casually text all that often, but it felt like something big was happening and his silence only made the wait more unbearable. As 5pm finally hit, she raced out and to her brother’s car, where Jeyne and Robb were waiting for her. They drove over to their class and Jeyne consistently looked back with a smile at the fidgeting Sansa.

“Why are you so nervous? He’s taking you out on a surprise date. It’s nothing bad,” Jeyne said playfully. Sansa shot her sister-in-law a glare. Sure, there wasn’t any reason to be nervous. But that didn’t mean that there wasn’t a reason to be anxious. They were two very different things.

“I’m fine. I just don’t like surprises.” That was a total lie and everyone in the car knew it, but Sansa couldn’t think of anything else to say that would shut them up.

\---

Willas was waiting inside. He looked so calm and collected, and here Sansa was with a heart rate way over resting speed. Robb and Jeyne said goodbye and went off to have dinner out before their class started an hour later. Today they were going to cover Argentinian tango, which was supposedly much harder than the standard tango, and for good reason. It didn’t have a basic step. The hour passed quickly and by the end Willas had gotten pretty good at remembering all of the leads. Sansa had to remember moves, but often the leads were just directional enough that she usually didn’t have too many options of where to move if they were done right.

The second hour started and Robb and Jeyne returned a few minutes late, much to the instructor’s disapproval. Neither of them particularly cared, but Sansa felt a small amount of embarrassment for them.

“You excited for tonight?” Willas asked during their break. They had been mostly silent during the advanced class. Learning at that level required a lot of focus, and neither of them were good enough to be able to dance without constant thought about the steps.

“Oh, um, yes,” was all Sansa could really respond with. “I keep trying to figure out what you’ve got planned, but I come up empty every time. I’m worried that I’m overdressed or something.” Without really knowing what their plans were, she just went with the nicest, most comfortable dress she owned. It was a solid blue A-line dress that reached a couple of inches above her knees and had elbow-length sleeves. She had paired it with red heels that were comfortable enough in case he insisted on walking any decent length.

“No, you’re perfect.” There was a pause where she wondered if he was referring to something other than her choice of outfit, and there was a glint in his eye that almost confirmed it, but not quite. She blushed again and then turned her attention to the start of the class.

“So, since I clearly can’t escape the events of the night, do I at least get to know what our plans are?” She was hoping to get a little bit of a hint at least.

“Nope! Not a chance,” Willas said with a devious smile. Sansa was getting frustrated, but in the nice way.

\---

At the end of the lesson, Jeyne and Robb waved goodbye and drove off, leaving Sansa and Willas on the curb outside of the dance studio. After the car turned a corner and was out of sight, Sansa looked at Willas with expectation. Finally, he tossed his head in the opposite direction and beckoned for her to follow. Apparently, they were walking.

“Come on, Willas, I want to know where we’re going. Please?” She was giving her best puppy dog impression, but he wasn’t swayed and remained silent as he led her through the city. “If we have to walk a lot you should’ve told me to bring better shoes.”

“It’s only a short distance, darling. We’ll be there soon.” He was so unfazed by her pestering that it made her strangely happy and excited. Two blocks later, he turned and a few storefronts in, he stopped and turned on his heels, holding his hand out in a dramatic gesture. “After you, Sansa.”

“Are you serious?” Sansa looked up at the restaurant. It was a well known and not inexpensive restaurant. She had known that it was in the area, but so were nearly a hundred other options. With no small amount of hesitation, she walked up to the door. A young man opened it with a bow and Willas followed her through. The inside was dimly lit in the almost seductive kind of way. They were led to a small table over to one side. In the center of the large room was a cleared out area and a small stage was set up for a live band. The lights started going off in her head and she smiled.

“Thoughts?” he asked.

“I’m impressed. I’m not sure what I’m going to order, though. There’s hardly anything on this menu that isn’t expensive.” She grimaced, not able to help but feel guilty at the prospect of buying a pricey meal.

“Sansa, this is a date. I picked it, so I certainly know what the average price is. Don’t think about it. If my sister has any good opinion on the matter, she says that their beef bourguignon is really good.” Willas buried himself behind his menu and they sat in silence for a few minutes. Sansa settled on a salad and then stared at the stage where the band was setting up and tuning their instruments. Her stomach was in knots. So far, they had really just gone out for fun to cheap and busy places. Now there was real meaning behind the date and she wasn’t sure what to make of it. The waiter arrived and they ordered. Sansa continued to sit in silence, much to the dismay of Willas.

“Are you okay?” he asked, no small amount of concern in his voice.

“I’m fine. I just wasn’t expecting something this nice, that’s all,” she replied. He leaned forward and took her hands, pulling them back towards him so that she was forced to face him.

“Look, I said that I like you. And I mean that. I won’t lie and say that this was all my idea. My sister is pretty aggressive about being involved in my life and she threatened quite a lot if I didn’t make a move. And she was right. I was holding back and dancing around it, if you’ll pardon the pun.” Sansa tried hard to not laugh. “I’ve loved every second of dancing with you. And I’ve loved every second outside of that even more. Is it too much to expect for me to pull out all of the stops and take you out on a really nice date?”

“No, of course not,” Sansa said quickly. “I’m just in a weird place right now.” His face fell a bit.

“Did I do something wrong? Should I have waited?” He seemed genuinely concerned. “Please be honest with me. If you don’t want to be here, we can leave. I won’t be offended.” Sansa was silent for a minute, thinking things through.

“I need to use the restroom. I’ll be right back.” She got up and left him at the table, weaving her way towards the back. Once safely out of sight, she whipped out her phone and texted Arya. Surprisingly, she got an instant reply, although it was mostly along the lines of a scream that she should go for it. Ayra was always so aggressive about things, but at least she was honest. Sansa sighed and leaned against the wall, freaking out. She was still messed up from her last romantic encounter with a guy, but Willas seemed to be so open and honest that she didn’t know where to start thinking.

Back at the table, Willas pulled out his phone as well and shot a text to Margaery. She had clearly been sitting with her phone, waiting on something from him because she wasted no time in responding. He explained the situation and she was insistent that her hesitation and confusion was proof that she had feelings, but he needed to be gentle about it. Sighing in frustration, he put his phone away and leaned back in the chair, waiting for Sansa’s return.

\---

It took twenty minutes for Sansa to pull herself together. She ended up calling Arya and quickly talking herself through the confusion. Arya continued to repeat that she should just calm down and go for it, but Sansa was too uptight to just let things go. Eventually, she realized that she would have to leave the bathroom eventually, and the night would continue. The longer she waited, the more difficult explaining herself would be. Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door and walked cooly back to the table where Willas was waiting, staring off into space with a disheartened expression. Upon her arrival, he jumped up straight in his seat and looked expectantly at her.

“Are you okay?” he asked. She nodded and took her seat.

“I’m sorry I ran off. I’m just afraid. After how disastrous my last relationship was, I panicked at the thought of any of that happening again,” she said. “Not that you’re anything like him, though. You’re very different,” she quickly followed up with. Something about the look on his face told her that he somehow knew of whom she spoke, and it only made her feel awful.

“I don’t expect anything from you. As I said before, I like you, and I wanted to give you a nice night out. Nothing more, nothing less.” He smiled genuinely and stood up, holding out his hand. She returned the smile with one of her own and took his hand. The band had started playing and she knew very well what he was doing. They weaved their way through to the dance floor where a handful of other couples were dancing. They pulled together and he smiled reassuringly as they began to waltz. Her face turned a bit red.

“What are you trying to do? What do you want?” she asked after a few minutes of silent dancing.

“For you to call me yours,” he said as he leaned in close. She turned bright red at his words. “But only if you want to.”

“Willas, I would love to call you mine,” she began.

“But?” His voice was heavy with concern.

“But nothing.”


	9. Stay In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the domestic cute stuff. You're welcome.

“I fucking knew it!” Arya shouted at the top of her lungs. Sansa winced at the volume as well as the strange looks their parents were now sharing. “I knew you would ask him to the wedding!”

“Yes, Arya, I asked him if he would be my date. It’s not that big of a deal.” Sansa was trying to hush her sister up. The family knew about the date, although only Jeyne and Arya were privy to the details of the night. The last Arya had heard was that Sansa was going to attempt to enjoy the night despite her insecurities. She had, however, conveniently left out the fact that the wedding invitation occurred until now, when Jeyne asked the fateful question.

“It’s totally a big deal! After you finally dumped that bastard Joffrey I was sure you’d never recover,” Arya said. “I’m still angry you never let me deck the son of a bitch.”

“Language, Arya,” their mother called over, shooting a stern look at the younger sister. Arya ducked her head and called out an apology before continuing.

“Honestly, Sansa, from what Jeyne has said I’m surprised he’s not dropping to his knees for you.” Arya ducked Sansa’s attempted smack with a laugh and then hopped over the side of her chair and escaped to the outdoors. Sansa sighed and leaned back, shaking her head at her younger sister. Jeyne walked over, a smile on her face at Arya’s insanity.

“Did you expect anything less from her?” Jeyne raised her brow as she sat. Sansa shrugged and watched Arya make faces through the window until their mother tapped the glass and shooed the girl away.

“No, but a little bit of subtlety would’ve been nice,” Sansa replied with a laugh. There was a shuffling sound behind them as Bran made his way into the room. He was still relying heavily on his crutches, although the two major surgeries he had gone through in the last six months had restored quite a bit of functionality to his legs. Guiding himself gently into a seat beside the girls, he let out a heavy sigh from the exertion.

“I take it this mysterious Willas is coming to the wedding? It’s the only possible reason for Arya’s behavior.” Bran smirked as he picked at the cheese and crackers on the table in front of him.

“Will you all please stop obsessing over my love life? Don’t you all have something better to pay attention to?” Sansa rolled her eyes and stood up to help her mother finish dinner, wishing that the family would let go of the fact that she was finally dating someone again.

\---

“So, Jon is your cousin, but he’s lived with you as one of your brothers?” Willas was extremely confused as he sat on Sansa’s couch while she gave him the run-through of her family and who would be at the wedding. He’d be formally introduced to everyone, but trying to explain all of the connections on the spot was asking for disaster. The only way around that was drawing out a family tree in hopes that he’d pick up enough to know who he was talking to.

“Yes. My aunt Lyanna died from complications after his birth. His father, who we all hated for reasons too complicated to explain now, was stationed overseas at the time and died in combat a year later. So, we just kept him.” Sansa leaned forward and pulled her computer further forward, scrolling through family photos looking for who else she needed to explain.

“I really shouldn’t be complaining, I guess. My family isn’t much better,” Willas said with a laugh. Sansa grunted in response, not willing to divert her focused attention away from her search.

“Ah, here’s a good one. Obviously this is us siblings, but then we’ve also got Robert, my cousin on my mother’s side. He’ll be there and he may or may not be bringing his girlfriend. Shireen was in Arya’s year and they were great friends with Myrcella, the younger sister of you know who. She’ll be there, but he won’t. Myrcella’s dad divorced her mom a long while ago and you know who went with the mom while the others went with Uncle Robert. We call him that because he and Dad were basically brothers while they were at university.”

“I guarantee you I’ll forget all of this in a month.” Willas ran his hands through his hair, trying to at least remember all of her sibling’s names and roughly what they looked like. “So, do you want to stay in or go out?” he asked, hoping to end the onslaught of complicated family matters.

“Stay in. I don’t want to put shoes back on,” Sansa said as she put her computer away. She curled up, tucking her feet under and leaning on Willas’s shoulder. “I’m comfortable here.”

“We’re still going to have to eat dinner, silly,” Willas said, chuckling. He put an arm around her and kissed the top of her head. A spark of warm happiness shot through Sansa’s gut as he made contact. It was a happy feeling she had only just recently rediscovered and was very glad to do so. Sighing, she settled in further to her spot.

“Well that’s certainly a problem,” she said with mock concern. He let out a dramatic sigh and nudged her. She went limp on him and forced him to completely push her over to the other side of the couch so that he could stand up.

“Let’s see what you have in your fridge.” Willas searched through the kitchen and came up rather empty. “Dear Lord, Sansa, how long has it been since you went grocery shopping? How do you eat?” He looked over with a mixture of fake and genuine shock. Sansa crawled off the couch and sauntered over, her bare feet making contact with the tile as she entered the kitchen.

“I’ve been eating with my family a lot. Bran is finally home and there’s a lot of stuff to organize, so I spend a lot of evenings there after work. I also just haven’t had time.” She rested her chin on his shoulder as she looked over it, standing on her tip toes to do so. “I have pasta. And some canned sauce. I know it’s not classy, but it’ll do,” she said with a dramatic eye roll. Willas returned the behavior and pulled everything out as she began to boil the water. He disappeared from the kitchen for a moment as Sansa was filling up the pot. Soft music began to play through her speakers and he slowly turned it up to a respectable volume. She smiled and looked over as he returned, holding out his hand as an invitation to dance.

“May I have this dance?” he asked with a smile that made Sansa’s stomach do several backflips. She curtseyed and took his hand.

“Yes you may.” He pulled her in close and they somehow managed to dance in the tiny kitchen while cooking. When she finally started to pull away to serve dinner, he tightened his grip and gently kissed her nose before letting go. She giggled, her face reddening a shade as she turned around to deal with dinner. He took a step towards the counter and hopped up to sit on it. She set the two plates of food down before jumping up herself. They ate in silence, enjoying the comparatively boring meal.

“You still haven’t told me a whole lot about your family, Willas,” Sansa said. He shrugged.

“There’s not a whole lot to tell. You’ll meet them eventually. Margaery is ecstatic that we’re finally actually dating. And that I’m finally done with those stupid physical therapy appointments. And that I’m functioning on my own again. I think she’s just glad that she doesn’t have to remind me to do absolutely everything.” Sansa gave a small laugh. “I mean, I’m the eldest. There’s Garlan and his wife, followed by Loras, and then last is Marg. I’ve got way too many aunts and uncles to bother naming them all and a few cousins.” Sansa nodded and finished up her plate. She slid off of the counter, taking his dish as well, and began cleaning up. Willas stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his cheek on her head while she worked.

“You’re beautiful,” he said quietly. She smiled as she worked and, once dishes were all drying, turned around and snaked her arms around his neck.

“Oh really?” she asked.

“Of course, Sansa.” He said, leaning forward and touching is forehead to hers. “Do you think I would lie? I would announce it to the world. You are the most beautiful, exquisite woman I have ever seen in my life and I love you.” He continued forward and planted a kiss on her lips. They both probably tasted of tomato sauce and garlic, but neither really cared at that point. He slid his arms more securely around her and picked her up, placing her on the edge of the counter so that they would be on more equal ground. She smiled, reaching out and combing her fingers through his hair. She loved his hair. And his eyes. And everything about him.

“I love you, too, Willas,” she said. Some part of her was ready to cry at how happy she felt. Flashes of her awful previous relationship passed through her mind’s eye and a sense of panic followed shortly after. But when Willas came in for another kiss, all of it was swept away and she felt secure in his embrace. Funnily enough, another small part of her was also beginning to wonder the same thing that Arya had the night before.


	10. You're Not Much Better

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi. Happy Tyrell siblings for y'all. And more tipsy Sansa and Willas.
> 
> Also, I can't believe it took me two whole days to realize that I put the apostrophe in the wrong place in the chapter title. Sorry, folks.

It was the last class before the wedding. Jeyne and Robb were visibly frantic and exhausted from the planning when they showed up to the studio. Sansa and Willas were equally frazzled, but from their hour of dancing. It had been a few weeks since she had invited him to the wedding and in that time, Sansa had come to greatly appreciate that decision. There was something about him that drew her further and further in. He was still incredibly insecure about half of what he did, always hesitating before anything that could be construed as remotely strenuous. She assumed it was leftover gut reactions from spending so many months watching out for his leg. But he was friendly, even if he was a quiet, private person in public.

"Are you sure you shouldn't go home and get some sleep, Jeyne?" Sansa asked, laughing as she hugged her soon-to-be sister-in-law. Jeyne sighed, rolling her eyes at the comment.

"We're fine. We just spent the entire afternoon running around after the flowers. The original florist called us and said that their shipment had to be sent back due to insects and so they suggested another company to us. They didn't have all of what we wanted, so as you can imagine, this led us on a wild chase around the city to find someone who could do this on such short notice." Robb stepped in and wrapped his arms around his fiancee, pulling her away from his sister to start dancing.

"Everything will be fine, love," Robb said as they walked to the dance floor. Sansa rolled her eyes. The sooner the wedding was over, the better. It was causing the entire family a lot of unnecessary stress. Jeyne wasn't a difficult bride, nor was Robb a particularly picky groom, but there was just so much to do. Her parents were pretty influential and so an unwieldily number of people were invited, which resulted in the need for a rather large affair. Large affairs cost a lot of money and time on the part of the families involved. Arya, Sansa, and Jeyne's sister had gone out the week before to pick up the bridesmaid dresses and make sure that the tailor hadn't made any mistakes with the fittings. Thankfully, the lady hadn't.

Willas walked back over to Sansa, brushing his hair out of his face. His mop of curls was getting a bit long, and he seemed to read her mind.

"I know, I'm going to get it cut tomorrow morning. You still haven't shown me your dress. I need to pick a nice tie to match it," he said with a sweet smile as he pulled her into dance hold.

"I still don't know how you do that, Willas," she said.

"Do what?"

"Read my mind."

"Ah, yes. That," he said with a smirk and a gleam in his eye. "It takes talent, you see." He looked off into the distance with a mocking sense of pride. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek before the music started for the warm-up free dance time. "You know that we'll have to show off at the wedding. We've done so much practicing."

"After Jeyne and Robb have their first dance," Sansa reminded. "And even then, probably not for a few songs. I don't want to suck up the spotlight, okay?" Willas dramatically hummed and pretended to be sad for a moment before laughing and nodding his head.

"Alright, fine." He spun her in and then leaned down into a dip as the song ended and the class proper began.

\---

"Oh my, you must be Sansa!" Margaery said with excitement. She, rather than Willas, had answered the door to his apartment when Sansa knocked. She looked at the brown-haired girl with wide, mildly panicked eyes as she was pulled into a hug that included a kiss on the cheek. Willas walked over and squeezed his way between the two of them, playfully shoving his little sister out of the way as he took Sansa's hand and gave her a proper kiss on the cheek before leading her inside. The apartment was packed with his siblings. The night before, at the class, he had asked if she wanted to finally meet them. His father was out of town and his mother would be busy, but the rest were available and Sansa was welcome to join them for dinner.

Garlan and Leonette were seated on the couch in the living room. Sansa could tell it was him by the pronounced similarity between him and Willas. Loras, by deduction, was the one sitting on the counter with a glass of wine in his hand. Margaery slipped past the couple and sunk back into her seat across from her brother and sister-in-law.

"Sansa, this is everyone. Margaery, obviously, and then Garlan, Leo, and Loras," he said. She had stiffened slightly at the sudden influx of attention, but not uncomfortable. "Loras and I are just about to start cooking dinner."

"Some wine, Sansa?" Loras asked, holding out the bottle. He was clearly at least two glasses in already, which caused Willas to snatch the bottle from his brother's hands and in return give a smack upside the head.

"I'm not going to have you drunk and in my kitchen, Loras, or I'll let Garlan in here to help me," Willas threatened. Sansa didn't quite understand until Loras's eyes widened in sheer panic and Garlan began to crack up laughing.

"You'd kill us all by doing that, Willas. You remember the last time Garlan stepped foot in your kitchen." Loras slid off the counter and set down his glass of wine as he joined Willas in the preparations.

"I'll have you all know that he's improving greatly," Leo said with a smile as she stood up. Approaching, the woman shook Sansa's hand. "Don't panic, this is normal." Sansa dipped her head and blushed a bit.

"Yeah, I figured. You should see my family. Add two siblings who can't sit still for more than a few minutes and then you've really got a party," Sansa joked as she took a seat. Margaery leaned to the other side of her chair, closer to Sansa, and rested her chin on her hand.

"So, love, tell us about yourself," the doe-eyed girl said. Sansa made a face and took a sip of the wine Loras had just handed to her.

"I can't imagine I can really say anything that Willas hasn't already told you."

"Oh, you'd be surprised how secretive he can be," Garlan said. He sat upright and chucked a crumpled napkin at the eldest brother. "Isn't that right, Willas?" He only received a barking laugh in return.

"Tell us about your family, then," Margaery said, moving the conversation along.

"Well, Robb is the eldest. He's the one getting married in two days. He works for my father managing the family business. We own a parent corporation for a bunch of lumber and mining operations up north. Stuff like that. Then it's myself, followed by Arya. She's currently finishing up community college before she starts her boxing career. If our parents don't push her into a four-year institution, that is. Bran got into a really bad accident last year after he graduated high school and after a couple of months in a coma, followed by the ICU, he's working in physical therapy to get his legs back." At that point, the room went a bit quiet and there were several glances in Willas's direction. Sansa cleared her throat and continued. "Rickon is still in high school and Jon, our cousin, has been living with us for almost his entire life after my aunt and her unfortunate husband died. He's about Robb's age and also works for my father."

"My, Sansa, you have quite the family!" Loras called from the kitchen. Willas walked over and planted a kiss on the redhead.

"Yes, and imagine all of this, but including everyone else her family is connected to and you get the crash course she was trying to give me for the wedding," he said. Margaery hushed her brother and swatted at him.

"Go finish dinner, dummy, I'm hungry." Willas stuck out his tongue and then walked back to the kitchen.

\---

After dinner, and several bottles of wine, Sansa had come to find out a lot of very interesting details about Willas's childhood adventures. Most of them resulted in Willas loudly trying to hush his siblings as they collectively spilled all of the embarrassing stories. Sansa took it all in stride, laughing as the siblings mocked each other ruthlessly. Eventually Leonette, the only completely sober person in the room, started to usher Garlan towards the door, saying it was late and they had to get going. Margaery yanked a giggling Loras by the collar of his shirt and followed suit. She had cut herself off an hour or so before just so that her short walk home wouldn't be too bad. Loras would probably pass out on her couch, as per usual. Once the place was quiet, Willas sighed and leaned back in his chair, slowly spinning the wine glass in front of him.

"Well?" he asked expectantly. "What do you think of them?"

"I love them, Willas," Sansa said with a grin. "They remind me of my own family. You forget that I have a loud home."

"Ah, yes. How could I forget? I think Margaery really likes you. To be fair, she was the one that I talked to the most when it came to you. She was my saving grace a couple of times. I'm awful at this, I'll have you know." Sansa tilted her head, silently calling his bullshit.

"You're such a liar," she said before finishing up her glass. She leaned forward, putting her head on the table. "You're wonderful. You've been here for me and I can't thank you enough. I'm very glad that I let Jeyne convince me to join that stupid class." Willas started laughing and slowly leaned forward until his forehead made contact with the table.

"You're telling me. I was so irritated that my therapist wanted me to go, but you made it all worth it, Sansa. You really did. I would do anything to help you if you asked." Sansa turned red and closed the distance between the two of them, running her hand through his newly cut hair and planting a kiss on his face.

"Come on, silly, you need sleep. Let's get you to bed." She stood up and started to nudge him out of his chair. When he stood up, rather than drag his feet to his bedroom, he came up behind her and started to usher her towards the bedroom.

"There's no way I'm letting you out of here with that much alcohol in your system. I may be pretty close to drunk, but you're not much better." Sansa let out a dramatic sigh and gave in to his push. It wouldn't kill her, especially since she had already asked for the following day off from work.


	11. With All Of My Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaand here's the finale! I hope that you all liked it and I hope that I did the story justice. It's been loads of fun writing this, but all things must come to an end.

The wedding went off without a hitch. Despite the last minute panic attacks on behalf of both Jeyne and Robb, the ceremony was a sight to behold. Sansa, being one of the bridesmaids, had been privy to every thought inside of the bride's head throughout the preparations. Once the audience was seated and everyone in place, everything calmed down and Sansa watched as her new sister-in-law floated through the room like a cloud. It was satisfying to see her brother so enamored.

Once the wedding proper was over, everyone ran this way and that to prepare for the reception. The Stark family had reserved a large room in one of the nicest hotels for the event. The immediate families of the couple as well as any out-of-town relatives that had come a long distance were being put up in various rooms along with any significant others they may have brought. Sansa was hesitant to bring Willas along at first, but it was either that or stay in the same room as Rickon and Bran, the former being prone to walking and talking in his sleep.

"Are you going to wear the blue dress?" Willas asked as he walked up behind Sansa. She was trying to contort her arm far enough up her back to reach the zipper. With a small laugh, he took her hand and moved it out of the way while he undid the back of the bridesmaid dress before removing his tie and jacket.

"Thank you. And yes, it's hanging in the closet," she replied, stepping out of the admittedly not ridiculous, but still quite fluffy outfit she had been wearing for the ceremony. She caught Willas's eye in the mirror and he gave a smile at the sight of her underwear. Her cheeks reddened a few shades and she picked up the dress to hang it up and retrieve its replacement. As she walked by, he wrapped an arm around her bare waist and planted a kiss on her cheek.

"I'm just looking, dear. I mean, unless you want to squeeze one in before the reception." He winked and squeezed his arm around her. With a roll of her eyes, she shook her head and returned to her dresses.

"How is your leg doing? Still stiff?" She changed the subject, addressing the problems his leg had been causing for the past couple of weeks. Despite all of the therapy, including the dance, there was still a stiffness from the injury. The morning after she had met his family, he could barely bend his knee to ninety degrees. She guessed it came with having shattered two of the major bones in the leg and going through reconstructive surgery. It didn't impair his dancing too much, barring any fancy lifts.

"A bit, yeah," he said quietly as he watched her get dressed from his seat on the edge of their bed. Once she had finished getting ready, which included a fair amount of fussing with her hair only to have him reassure her that everything looked fine, they exited the room and took the elevator down to the second floor reception hall.

\---

"Congratulations to the bride and groom!" Jon said with a bright smile on his face, lifting his glass and finishing his speech duty as best man. The room followed suit and there was a wave of cheering and felicitations. He shared a hug with his cousin and then sat down as the couple moved from their seats to have their first dance. Everyone went silent as the music started. Jeyne was visibly tearing up as they started, but Robb was nothing but a huge, proud grin. It was a slow, sickeningly romantic song and Sansa even found herself wiping away a couple of tears. Under the table, Willas took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Those lessons paid off, huh?" Willas whispered in Sansa's ear. She smiled and wiped away another tear as she watched her brother and his wife share a kiss at the end of the song. Jeyne wiped away her happy tears and then gave a motion for a few other people to join them dancing. Ned and Cat got up immediately, followed by a few other couples around the room. Willas didn't make a move, and Sansa was willing to wait a couple of songs in case his leg was giving him problems and he wanted to take a few minutes to stretch it out a bit before dancing, but Jeyne wouldn't allow it. She came over and dragged the pair out of their seats and onto the dance floor, muttering something about the dance lessons. Willas had what could only be described as a goofy grin as the woman yanked him by the shirt. The music began, playing something more lively, and the crowd slowly grew on the dance floor. At first, the two of them kept their dancing subtle, not wanting to draw too much attention. As the pace began to pick up, Willas started leading Sansa through more complicated swing steps and they cleared a space around them. Arya, who had previously been dancing borderline inappropriately with Gendry, was now at the edge of the circle, cheering her sister on as Willas spun her in for a lift. At the end of the song, both of them were exhausted and panting, but the crowd was thrilled. Sansa drew close to Willas and asked if his leg was okay and received a rather hesitant nod. They excused themselves and he took a seat near the floor to cool off. Sansa retrieved their glasses of water from their table, running into Myrcella on the way.

"That was incredible, Sansa! I had no idea you knew how to do that," the younger blonde gushed. Sansa made a face and waved her hand.

"Oh, it's nothing. Jeyne dragged me to her dance classes, which is where I met Willas. We kind of took to it, but we're not that great," Sansa said, trying to avoid drawing attention. "How are you and Tommen doing? I saw him earlier, but I didn't get a chance to say hello before everyone scattered after the ceremony."

"He's great. He and Dad have been spending a lot of that father-son bonding time together lately before Tommen moves out in a few months. To be fair, I had to go through the same thing before I left. And before you ask, no, we haven't had contact with our mother or you-know-who. Dad can barely stand to speak of either of them, especially when any of your family is around." Myrcella smiled, giving a comforting squeeze to Sansa's shoulder. Sansa shifted uncomfortably at the mention of her ex-boyfriend, the nightmare, but tried to cheer up as she said goodbye and returned to Willas.

"I'm going to the restroom. I'll be back in a couple of minutes. Sit and drink your water," Sansa ordered before weaving her way through the tables and towards the large doors to the hallway. She sighed heavily once she was outside of the room. Even though the doors were open, the hallway was a fair bit quieter and she hummed quietly as she walked to the restroom. On her way back, as she rounded a corner, a hand grabbed her shoulder and pushed her up against the wall. The wind was knocked from her, and she struggled to gasp at the face before her.

"Hello, darling," Joffrey said in his disturbingly sadistic voice. Sansa coughed a couple of times and then reached up to push him away. She was unsuccessful, and he pinned her wrists to the wall, drawing in close. She could smell alcohol on his breath, but that wasn't the cause of his appearance. He no doubt knew of the wedding due to his limited contact with Uncle Robert, but his presence was a complete, and horrific, surprise.

"Get the fuck away from me, Joffrey," Sansa spat. "You weren't invited and you shouldn't be here." She tried to kick him, but he was too quick and blocked her.

"I'm still my father's son. You invited him, so that means I'm here, too. You miss me? You miss this? Our little fights? I know you like it." He grinned, leaning in. She turned her head, starting to panic. The boy was a lot stronger than she was, even though he didn't have much height on her. She tried to yank her arms out of his grasp, but was thankfully released when a shout came from down the hall.

"Hey! Let go of her," Willas shouted. He was walking stiffly, but quickly, over to where Sansa was still pressed up against the wall. Arya was close behind him and a few of the other guests were beginning to poke their heads out at the sound of shouting. Willas, unlike Sansa, did have a good few inches on Joffrey. The blond boy sneered up at Willas.

"Make me, cripple," Joffrey taunted. Willas visibly stiffened at the word, but didn't make a move. Rather than striking, he sternly squeezed himself between Sansa and Joffrey, sending the boy stumbling back a step.

"Go home, Joffrey," Willas said.

"Make me." Willas didn't flinch as Joffrey swung a punch, hitting the tall brunette square in the jaw. Willas, unstable from putting most of his weight on the good leg, slipped and fell to the ground. The boy followed up with a hefty kick to Willas's bad leg and there was a split second where both Sansa and Willas were afraid that more damage had been done. Sansa yelped and, in response, kicked Joffrey square in the chest, sending him stumbling back. Before Willas or Sansa could make any further move, Arya came flying in and tackled Joffrey to the ground, pinning him with her knees and wailing on his face with her fists.

"Hands off my sister you bastard! I'll break your fucking neck if you touch her again!" Arya shouted. She wasn't kidding, and Sansa knew it. Robert came running over and while Sansa yanked her little sister off of the blond. Robert picked up his son by the neck of his shirt and slammed him against the wall, issuing his own verbal threats before throwing the boy towards the door. Willas stood up, rubbing his jaw. He attempted to put weight on the leg Joffrey kicked, only to find that it wasn't willing to hold weight. The look on his face told Sansa that he would probably be making a few more visits to the physical therapist thanks to this, and he didn't seem thrilled. Sansa stepped in to hold some of his weight.

"Damn, Sansa, you've got quite a little sister," he said with a nervous laugh. Arya gave a toothy grin, throwing out her arms.

"You've been warned, Tyrell," the short girl said before patting her sister on the back and returning to the party, which had since migrated back into the reception hall. Sansa looked up at Willas with a nervous smile.

"She wouldn't actually do anything to you. Not unless you decided to imitate Joffrey." Sansa shrugged and started walking the two of them back to the reception. "I think we've had enough excitement for the night, hm? No more dancing for us."

"I am pretty beat, but I think we've got a lot of dances ahead of us," he said with a wink. "Damn my leg hurts. We might want to have someone take a look at it before the end of the night, just in case Joffrey fractured anything." Before they walked through the door, he stopped and turned to face Sansa, careful to not put too much weight on the leg.

"I love you, Sansa. With all of my heart. Although I think your sister has me beat to the whole protection bit, I would want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you." He smiled and leaned in. Sliding one hand behind her neck and the other behind her waist, they pressed together into a kiss. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she felt herself melt inside of his embrace. What felt like ages later, they broke apart to breathe. With a small laugh, she touched her forehead to his, looking up at him.

"I love you, too, Willas. I can't imagine a life without you."


End file.
